Tried gravel instead of mulch for my backyard path and it's holding up way better

I got sick of replacing mulch every 6 months because it would wash out or rot. So last spring I put down 2 inches of pea gravel over landscape fabric on my 30 foot path. The trick was using edging stones to keep it from spreading into the grass. Six months later and it still looks good with no weeds. Has anyone else made the switch from mulch to gravel and regretted it?

2 comments

2 Comments

james53310d ago

Yeah, you're dead on about the edging stones being the trick. I did the same thing on a side yard path that got hammered by rain runoff. Without a solid border, gravel just turns into a mess of rocks scattered across the lawn after a good storm. I used some cheap concrete pavers sunk a couple inches into the ground and it held everything in place perfect. The landscape fabric underneath is a must too because even with gravel, weeds find a way. Only thing I'd add is get thicker fabric or double layer it if you can because thin stuff rips easy when you're spreading rock.

wren8069d ago

Right? Gravel's basically a toddler in a rock costume, just waiting to wander off if you don't put it in timeout with some edging lol. Learned that the hard way after my path turned into a free rock giveaway for the whole neighborhood.